OBPA retains Davis as executive director

OGDENSBURG  The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority board of directors has given Wade A. Davis a vote of confidence.

The board approved a contract Wednesday evening that will retain Mr. Davis as executive director of OBPA through March 2016 with a $108,790 annual salary.

Im very pleased with the performance that Wade has shown, said Samuel J. LaMacchia, board chairman. Stability at the authority is very important, professionalism is very important, and Wade is well-situated to get things done.

The OBPA hired Mr. Davis in 2005 after the resignation of Executive Director Daniel B. Loughney and a shake-up of board members and staff.

I would like to thank the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority board of directors, my staff and the authority employees for their support as we continue to grow jobs and investment opportunities for the region, Mr. Davis said. The authority has a top-notch team dedicated to opening the region to increased commerce opportunities with a strong desire to create jobs. I am very honored to be part of such a great team.

Under Mr. Daviss leadership, the OBPA has enjoyed a number of successes, including the expansion of the Ogdensburg International Airport and the growth of commercial air service under Barnstable, Mass., airline Cape Air, two large wind turbine shipments transiting through the Port of Ogdensburg in 2008 and 2012 and an increase in port activity involving agricultural products and road salt, all in the midst of economic uncertainty.

What we talk about is the symmetry of how the port, the railroad, the industrial park and the bridge interact, bringing all that together, Mr. LaMacchia said. I think he understands all the dynamics of each identity of the authority.

Mr. Davis has a bachelors degree in economics from SUNY Potsdam and a masters degree from Clarkson University, Potsdam, in business administration and engineering and global operations management.

Before joining the OBPA, he spent more than six years in various positions with Mead Specialty Paper.

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